Today (2 p.m.) in Bonn, the World Biodiversity Council (IPBES) is publishing a report on so-called invasive species. This refers to animals and plants that spread in areas outside of their homeland and pose a threat to the native flora and fauna there. They are considered to be one of the reasons for the global decline in biodiversity. Some people intentionally settled such plants and animals, while others introduced them accidentally.
Invasive species in Germany are, for example, the Asian hornet, which lurks on beehives for prey, and the Pacific oyster, which overgrows mussel beds in the North Sea.
The preparation of the IPBES report reportedly took four years. 86 experts from 49 countries worked on it.
The Bonn-based international scientific body for biodiversity and ecosystems (IPBES/Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) is intended to provide independent information on the global state of nature. It is thus a counterpart to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Numerous animal and plant species are classified as severely endangered or already extinct worldwide.
